Change
by Tora Nanashi
Summary: If they were Team 7 once, they are not anymore. Each of them are different. Each of them had changed.
1. Sakura: A new person

I've been through hell and back. Or so I say.

It certainly felt like hell. There was this burning in my soul and this pain where my heart used to be. But no matter how much I try, I'm still living, still breathing. I guess I'm still a coward, afraid of everything, afraid of death.

I'm still living now, Sasuke-kun.

I'm not in hell anymore though. I've gotten over that. Now, you aren't even worth my time. You betrayed _my_ village, you hurt _my_ people and _my _friends. You are a traitor.

You must be wondering if I'm lying about getting over you.

Maybe I am. Maybe in the back of my mind, the back of my _heart_ here is still a small place for you. Maybe. But that doesn't matter anymore. If I am ordered to kill you I will without a second thought.

I'm not here to threaten you. I know I'm not enough to make you scared.

I'm just telling you I've grown. I've become stronger for the people I love, my family. I've become stronger for myself. And most of all I've become stronger for you. I've become stronger for you to see that I _can_ change. That I'm not just fangirl anymore.

And I'm not.

Maybe in that way I'm still pining over you. But really I don't care that much. You threaten every single thing that is precious to me and I will _not_ let you destroy them. Most of all Naruto. He has become stronger than I've ever known. He would be a worthy match for you. But that's beside the point. He's precious to me along with everyone else.

Well, really, all I'm trying to say is, I'm a new person, Sasuke-kun.

I'm a new person.


	2. Naruto: Saving you

Teme, I'm back at Konoha again.

It's been three years. It seemed such a long time then. It was…different. Those three years was the first without Sakura or you by my side. You know what teme? I think I'm stronger now.

I'm going to save you.

Well, not exactly save. More like drag your sorry ass back to Konoha. 'Coz you _wanted_ to go in the first place. You left us. You left Sakura, Kakashi and me. You _betrayed _us. But I guess you don't really care do you?

After all, you shouldn't.

I hated you. From the very first day in the academy I hated you, I hated how you can do absolutely nothing and still be loved, and still be their precious Uchiha. I guess I've gotten over that. I guess I've gotten over a lot.

You know what I think I've grown.

…Stop smirking right there, teme. I'm talking seriously here! Argh. I think a lot of things changed when we were put in the same team back at the academy. Like it was fate or something that we were on the same team. I'm sounding like Neji aren't I?

It was like we were destined to fall apart too.

You left us to go to your 'Orochimaru-sama' and after that we just fell apart. We were a team you know, there was no us without you in it. You guys were the first family I ever had. After you left I left and Sakura went under training.

Unlike you I came back.

And here I am. You know, teme, when we were chasing after you or 'saving' you I felt really, really frustrated. I felt as though I couldn't do anything and you were just leaving. I think I still feel that way now.

And that's why I'm telling you this:

I think I'm stronger now, I think I've changed (not too much mind you).

I think I can finally get you back to Konoha, where you belong.

I think I can finally save you.

And that's what I'm going to do.


	3. Sasuke: Black and White

…I don't think I have much to say to you two. I don't have much to say to two annoying, weak, pathetic excuses for ninja. I don't think I have much to say to you two at all.

Except maybe, just maybe, Konoha might've been better than this.

Well, I did choose it and I don't regret it. I've become much, much stronger. It's just that everything here, down to the very last detail, is very different from Konoha. Konoha had been my home for thirteen years; I guess I'm just getting used to it here. After all, I can focus so much better here and I won't have any distractions.

It's dark here.

I'm used to the dark I guess. Everything I've every owned is black. Actually, my life _was_ black and white. And maybe it still is. There might be spots of colour but I don't like it too much. In fact colour kinda scares me…Just a little. Colour was so different from what I'd known before and I still don't like it one bit.

My world is black and white again.

It's so much simpler this way. There is one road that I will walk. Everything is in black and white. I will get stronger. I will kill Itachi. I will avenge my family. I have already strayed from the path once and I will no stray again.

After all, I'm an avenger.

Nothing more, nothing less that is who I am. That is what I am destined to do. That is my duty. He killed my family. I won't let him get away with it. I will kill him. He will die. But then…

…To tell the truth, I don't know what I will do afterwards.

I don't have any plans after that. All I know is that every day that I haven't killed Itachi I will stay here at Orochimaru's right-hand side. You two understand this. I cannot go on if I'm not strong enough to kill him.

After that, maybe just maybe I'll come back.

Maybe I'll come back to Konoha, I don't know whether I'll be welcome or not but that doesn't matter. Maybe colour isn't that bad after all. Life doesn't have to be black and white if you don't want it to. It can be a range of colours.

Sakura, Naruto I don't think you'll understand this but, I don't regret doing this at all. I don't regret coming to Sound. I've become stronger here. I'm much closer to my goal.

And after all life can't be too bad in black and white if I've survived so many years of it.


	4. Change

Change. Is it really a good thing? People change, things change and as time goes by we can hardly recognise ourselves. Team 7 changed. At first they were excitable and temperate, Sasuke the cool one, Naruto the fool and Sakura the fangirl.

They matured, each going their own way. There were many possibilities that they could've taken. Many roads they could've walked many doors that they could've opened. They each chose their own way and they walked it.

Sasuke's future was decided the minute he nearly killed Naruto but didn't and walked away. Naruto's future was decided when he accepted Jiraiya's offer to a three year training. Sakura's future was decided when she stepped into the Hokage's office and announced that she wanted to be stronger. They were all stronger now.

Their roads, no matter how far apart they were, had crossed once again. But it was already decided, Sasuke was the traitor, Naruto the Jinchuuriki and Sakura the Hokage's apprentice. They had changed.

They still weren't sure if it was a good thing.


End file.
